The present invention relates to a structure and method for mounting a blower unit which is installed in the interior of an instrument panel.
As shown in, for example, JP-UM-A-6-37057, a cross beam (a steering support beam) extending transversely of a body of a vehicle such as an automobile is fixedly provided on the vehicle body in the interior of an instrument panel of the vehicle.
In general, the steering support beam functions to support a steering column, a blower unit and so on, on the vehicle body. Consequently, it is a general practice to mount the blower unit on the vehicle body after the steering support beam has been mounted on the vehicle body.
Incidentally, in general, the blower unit is fastened to a front bulkhead and a toe board of the vehicle body as well as to the steering support beam. Then, the blower unit is additionally fastened to the instrument panel from the interior of a glove box after the instrument panel has been mounted.
However, it is difficult to mount the blower unit to the front bulkhead and the toe board in a narrow passenger compartment with a long steering support beam that has been mounted on the vehicle body. In particular, when fastening the blower unit to the toe board, the mechanic is forced to do the fastening work from below the steering support beam with an uncomfortable posture. This work may lead to a risk that a mounting accuracy of the blower unit is deteriorated. In addition, it becomes difficult to fasten the blower unit, which has been so fastened with poor mounting accuracy, to the instrument panel. This work also may lead to a further risk that the mounting workability is deteriorated.